Electronically Translated Text

December25.- Christmas ! season of gladness -bright, warm, sunny Christmas ! again thou shinest on us-again does thy return, long, long anticipated, dart ardent ana unclouded ocams ' of joy on those who sorrow not ; whilst he who

tous and labours with pain and gricF along thc tedious and clouded valley of lifo, feels for ?awhile this cheering influence, and costing downhiB weary burden of care, hastes to join tho jocund throng thut revel in thy light-for now, beneath thy apirit-btirring frown; he feels that "man ia van:tyM-that " he heapclh up richea, and cannot tell who ahull gather them :"

mas dwells not hut as an advent in one church -that thaic aro "no associations" ia this

" sunny laud" ta render it dear or joyous-that there is no enjoyment. It may be so willi some, -severed ties will cause tbis'feeling,-but here

in New South Wales, Christmas is Chrutmoa still; and tho children of thc " good old English gentleman" hail in return with as much hcait tclt joyousness aa over did their futhcrs ju their father land. 'Tis true ice do not nt thut period lay claim to thc pleasant accompaniments of pelting, pitiless stoiins, of »now-covercd ways, of driving sleet and rain, of roaring wind and tempest, of a churlish nigged nature, who cases her charms in a mantle of ico lest she should smile at (ho surrounding gaiety, and who, bc . cause "she cannot liersclf be bright and joyful,

vents her spleen on tho poor tattered beggar and starving wretch, who cowers beneath the snow-clad' riedle to Bereen herself and child from perching, even behind nature's nakedness. God help us ! 'No Christ m us in Australia He who cannot he huppy at Christnms, enme where it may, provided he has the.requisites, i J ¡1 " Gabriel Grub" in verity. It is true our skies aro fine al thut periud of ih.cyi.Mr; bu', who would not prefer sunshine to ice »ml shade r

Man forms fresh associations wherever ho goes, and IIB who refuses thc pledge* of new ties and friendships, and whose heart is not susceptible to new impressions, because forsooth thc old ones exist no longer, is a churl, und has no "Christmas" in his soul. Our motto ut this staion of tho year should bc, " Cherish thc past, and enjoy thc present "

Thc har von in this district is now general price per acre from 10s. ty l >s. without ration... Thc crops nro magnificent, and I have no doubt there is a two years' sup.ily of .grain m thc courBB of being homed. Thc weither* l* ex- ceedingly fine, and our «kic-s propiliou-.

Last week a man named Murrah, brother of a publican at the Tumut, was killed at that place, by being brought into collision with a tree whilst going at full speed on horseback through the bush, his skull was extensively fractured, and he was killed instantaneously.

Two men. servants of Mr. Hillas, of Ban- naby, were last Saturday given in charge to the police by Mr. Andrews, of this place, for a rob- bery on his premises ; the property was found on their persons when taken into custody. They were on their way to Sydney with their master's (Mr. Hillas's) wool.

A serious accident occurred a few days since to a poor man who has but one leg, and who generally earns his living by grinding wheat at steel mills at so much per bushel, on the dif-

ferent establishmens he touches at in travel-

ling about. At Mr. McLeay's station, Baram- bulla, he was thrown front a loaded dray, and pitching on his wooden leg, fractured the thigh bone a few inches from the stump. Mr. David- son was immediately sent for, and the poor fellow, with care, is likely to recover.

That most enterprising, charitable, and phil- antrophic lady, Mrs. Chisholm, visited Gun- dagai last Salurday, having brought immigrants into the district. Although she did not obtain

situations for the whole of them, she has been, I am told, very successful, and returns with but few, whom she anticipates procuring employment for on her way back. She visited us at the worst possible period for her amiable purpose, but did she repeat the visit about the beginning of March; she would find no diffi- culty in obtaining situations for many single men as shepherds, March being our weaning time.

One of the most terrific thunder storms that has been witnessed in the colony, I think, oc- curred last week. Its greatest fury was ex- pended about Kuico, the establishment of G. C.Curlewis, Esq., which (if I may be allowed to use thc expression for "schoolmasters are

abroad" appears to have been the nucleus of the storm. No rain accompanied it, and the great dry- ness of thc atmosphere and everythin, else, ren-

dered us fearful of some serious result. Great

damage was done to much of the standing timber within avery short circuit. The peals of thunder -or rather crashes, for they resembled the burst- ing of brazen bodies more than anything else,

tinuoiis blaze of electricity. The fluid emitted a crackling sound, auch ns is produced I'ryin thc throwing off of sparks. Its cilect 011 the cattle, doaa, and poultry, was very powerful ; they appeared terrified beyond belief, and exhibited it by rushing wildly about, and uttering cries suchas would bc witing from them by bodily

Another iuatn nUune in our ctherial regions ! Tho comet, which of curso every one ha« seen ere this, was first vi-iMo lo us 011 thc night of Saturday last, December21st. Tho "theoryof

dictory, that I am content to acknowledge n state of blissful ignorance thereon. Thc only thing apparent to my semes is, that they coma and ya-that they shine and nrc shone upon, and thal.their progress through the regions of

Or, as your friend'" Yorick" poetically rc

murks of iv mountain, they go

WildJjr ru*hin; lottie »hy.

Still none may gaze 111.cm them without a feeling of owe and reverence for that Almighty power

that formed, thc universe, and we turn :

from thc contemplation of their beauty and 1 ' splendour, with a Jinn belief and conviction,

that "the lund which formed them WM divine." I and involuntarily exclaim "How wonderful ara thy works, ah Lord! in all ibo world." Tue

of thc " theory of comets,)- tho " Radicals," I I say, up herc, pretend that this bruce of lumi- naries han something to do cither with the ". Squatting Regulations," or thc recall of Sir Gcorgo Gipps-or his continuance herc-or